Injured seaman THE MARINE RESCUE CO-ORDINATION CENTRE, Shannon, told Arranmore honorary secretary at 1810 on Saturday December 30, 1978, that a sailor on board the Finnish cargo vessel Puhos had lost three fingers in an accident.

Puhos was 120 miles south west of Arranmore. There was no helicopter or ship available to help and Puhos was too big to enter either Sligo or Killybegs harbour.

The honorary secretary asked MRCC Shannon to instruct the captain of Puhos to head for Arranmore and then, with Dr K. Flannery aboard, the 52ft Barnett lifeboat Claude Cecil Staniforth slipped her moorings at 2300.

It was a fine night with good visibility.

A strong breeze, force 6, was blowing from the north east and the sea was choppy.

Claude Cecil Staniforth met Puhos at 0100, took off the injured man and landed him at 0300 at Burtonport where an ambulance was waiting to take him to hospital..